Electric signal for railroad crossings, public highways, and the like



A ril 26 1927.

B. J. SHALD RAILROAD CROSSINGS, PUBLIC HIGHWAYS, AND THE LIKE ELECTRICSIGNAL FOR Filed Jun 16, 1926 il -T E2? 1 k i j Patented Apr, 26, 1927"unrrso srarss PATENT orator;

races a. snare, or mm, unnum- ELECTEIG SIGNAL FOR RAILROAD GEOSSUGS,PUBLIC HIGHWAYS, AND THE LIKE.

Application died June 16,

' and eflicient device of strong, durable and comparatively inexpensiveconstruction adapted to be operated by the wheels of a train or othervehicle at a distance from a crossing or intersection and capable of disI playing an illuminated signal or other electrically operated signalingmeans either visible or audible or both.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointedout the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changesin the form, roportion and minor details of construction, within thescope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the sirit or sacrificing any of the advantages '0 the invention.

In the drawings:-

Figure l is a longitudinal sectionalcview of an electric signalingdevice constructed in accordance with this invention, the signal beingshown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the si naling device. Fig. 3 isan enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view of the switch operatingmech anism,

Fig. i is a plan view of the same.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention 1 designates a visual signal designed to bearranged at a railroad crossin or intersection of a public highway or oter lace where it is desired to give warn ing o an approaching vehicleand consistin of a box or casing provided at op site si eswit-htransparent plates and who are covered by an opaque plate or member 2having cut therein the word Stop or other warning. The casing may be ofany desired construction and is designed contain a pair of electriclamps 3 which are connected by independent pircmts with operatingdevices located at oppos te sides of the crossing or intersection andadapted to be operated by the wheels of a tram or other 'mac. Serial m,116,427.

vehicle for closing anlam circuit and causmg one of the other of thesaid lamps 3 to glow and illuminate the si al. The wires 4 which areconnected with the electric lights extend to the operating devices andas each operating device is constructed in the same manner, adescription and illustration of one of the operating devices is deemedsuflicient. The signal may be su ported in any desired manner and may ofany desired dimensions.

Each signal operating device comprises in its construction a base member5 designed to extend longitudinally of a portion of a railroadtrack andsecured to the adjacent rail by means of transverse bolts 6 whichpreferably pierce the flu of the adjacent rail but any other suitab emeans may, of course, be employed for securing the base member 1 to therail. The base member 1 is provided with a central recess 7 in which isarranged a switch 8. The switch 8 is similar in construction to anordinary snap wall switch and is provided with a pair of depressiblebuttons 9 and'10 which are adapted to be pushed downwardly or inwardlyin the ordinary manner for closing the circuit and for opening the; sameto light the electric lamp and to extinguish the same. As the switch isof the ordinary construction and operates in the ordinary manner and asany desired construction of snap switch mechanism having a pair ofdepressible buttons may be employed the specific construction of theswitch is neitherillustrated nor described. The switch is secured to aswitch operating device consisting of an oblong plate 11- provided witha pair of cylinders 12 and 13 adapted to receive the push buttons 9 and10 of the electric switch. The switch is provided with projecting cars14 which 'are of the ordinary construction and which are secured to thelower or inner face of the plate by bolts 15, suitable insulation 16being interposed between the box or casin of the electric switch and theplate 11 which is constructed of suitable metal. The cylinder 13 is openat the upper or outer end and it receives a plunger 17 which rests uponthe push button 9 and which is adapted to be depressed by the meanshereinafter described for moving the push button 9 downwardly orinwardly to close the circuit and illuminate the signal by causing theelectric light to glow.

The plunger is provided at its inner end sides of its With an annularrib 1S and a cylinder is provided near its upper outer end with aninterior annular shoulder 19 which forms a stop for limiting the upwardor outward movement of the plunger 17. The cylinder 12 which is closedat its outer end 20 contains a coiled spring 21 provided at its lowerend with a flanged collar 22 which caps the depressible push button ofthe electric switch and when the push button 9 is depressed the pushbutton 10 is moved forwardly and effects a compression of the spring 20.Then the plunger 17 is relieved of the pressure the spring expands andforces the push button 10 downwardly and automatically opens the circuitand extinguishes the electric light of the signal. The plate 11 issecured by bolts 23 to the base member recesses 2i being provided atopposite sides of the central opening or recess 7 to receive the plate11 which is arranged in flush relation with the upper face of the basemember.

The base member is provided at opposite center with fixed upwardlyprojecting guides 25 consisting of posts which are preferably formedintegral with the base member. The base member may be constructed of anysuitable material and the spaced vertical guides lit in openings 26 of adepressible member 27. The depressible member 27 is constructed of metalor other suitable material and it is preferably provided with integralside and end flanges and it partially encases the base member. Thedepressible member is beveled at its ends at 28 as shown and it isyieldably supported in an elevated position above the thread of theadjacent rail by means of coiled springs 99 which may be of anydesirednumber. The coiled springs are disposed on bolts 30 which may beformed integral with the depressible vehicle member and they passthrough openings 31 in the base member. The bolts 31 are provided withnuts at their lower ends and the base member is recessed at its lowerface at 32 to receive the said nuts. The bolts 29 may be formed integralwiththe depressible member and when the wheels of a train pass over thedepressible member the latter is forced downwardly and it carries withit the plunger 17 of the cylinder 18 for operating the switch toilluminate the signal. may be of any desired length and the form of thesame may be changed to adapt it for use at any location either for therailroad or at a highway to be depressed by the wheels of an automobileor other vehicle. In practice when the device is used at a railroadcrossing the operating means will be depressed by a train approachingthe crossing and he wheels of the train passing over the depressiblemember will cause an intermittent illumination of the signal andbuttons, a switch operating The depressible member.

a flaring of the same so that attention will be attracted to the signal.Any number of the operating devices may be employed for producing anillumination of the signal by a train any desired distance from thecrossing and until the train has reached and passed the crossing. Thewires 4; of the lamp circuit extend to the electric switch and areconnected with the same in the usual manner and any suitable source ofelectric current supply such as a battery or feed wires of an electriclighting system may be employed for supplying the current to the lampcircuit of the signaling device.

In order that the depressible member may move frictionlessly the basemember may be provided with suitable anti-friction bearings which mayconsist of balls 33 mounted in suitable sockets 34 of the base memberand projecting slightly therefrom at the ends of said base member tobear against the depressible member or any other suitable anti-frictionbearings may be employed.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. An electric signal including a signal circuit, a switch arranged inthe said circuit and provided. with a pair of depresible push devicecomprising a pair of cylinders, adapted to receive the depressible pushbuttons, at plunger mounted in one of the cylinders and pro-- jectingtherefrom and arranged to actuate one of the push buttons, and a coiledspring mounted in the other cylinder and arranged to be compressed bythe other push button for automatically actuating the switch to open thecircuit when the plunger is relieved of pressure and operating meansadapted to be actuated by a vehicle for depressing the plunger.

2. An electric signal including a signal circuit, a switch arranged inthe said circuit and provided with a pair of depressible push buttons, aswitch operating device comprising a pair of cylinders arranged toreceive the puslrbuttons, one of the cylinders being closed at its outerend and the other being open, a plunger projecting from the open end ofthe cylinder and arranged to actuate one of the push buttons, a springhoused within the other cylinder and interposed be" tween the closed endthereof and the other push button and adapted to be compressed by thesame when the plunger is operated to close the circuit and adapted toautomatical ly open the circuit when the plunger is relieved of pressureand operating means adapted to be actuated by a vehicle for actuatingthe plunger.

3. An electric signal including a signal circuit, a switch arranged inthe said circuit and provided with a pair of depressible push buttons, aswitch operating device compris mg a pair of cylinders arranged toreceive the push buttons, one of the cylinders being closed at the outerend and the other cylinder being open and having an interior shoulder, aplunger projecting from the open end of said cylinder and arranged toactuate one of the push buttons and provided with a lip arranged to enge the said shoulder to lim'itthe 'outwar movement of the plunger, acoiled spring housed within the other cylinder and interposed betweenthe closed end thereof and the other push button and provided with aflanged collar capping such push button and operating means adapted tobe engaged by a vehicle for actuating the plunger.

4. An electric signal including a base member having a central openingand provided with fixed guide posts located at opposite sides of thecenter of the base member, a depressible member adapted to be engaged bythe wheels of a vehicle and provided with openings receiving the guideposts, cushioning means interposed between the base member and thedepressible member, a switch mounted in the central openings of the basemember and arranged in the said circuit and of the said openings andcarrying the said 7 switch, cylinders mounted on the plate and receivingthe push buttons, a spring ar.--.

ranged within one of,the cylinders and adapted to be compressed by theoperation of the switch, a plunger extending from the other cylinder andarranged to engage the other push button, and a yieldably supporteddepressible member mounted on the base member and arranged above theplungerand ating the plunger. 5 e

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

BRUCE J;"SHALD.

45 adapted to be'operated a vehicle for actu-

